Truck



Dec. 1.6, 1930.-' w. ZEIINDLR I 1,785,064

TRUCK Filed ot. 4, 192e je sheets-sheet 2 Patented Dee. 16, 1930 UNITED si'rarras,

v `matrox oo., or ALBION, MICHIGAN, IlV CORPORATIONOF MICHIGAN tranci:l

Application nled October 4, `1928f8e11n1 No; 139,317.

This inventionfrelates toimprovements in trucks of the type which are specially adapted for use for transporting freight and baggage, such as the trailer truckswhich are usuall drawn by electric or gasoline tractors on rai way platforms. The rincipal object of the invention is to provi e an improved` truck construction embodying a frame hav` ing great rigidity and strength. Another object is to provide anim roved truck having novel means for attac ing the supporting wheels and casters to the frame construction. `Still another object is to provide means for mounting the side Vrails and racks in an inproved manner on the supporting frame.

er objects relate to various features ofv construction and arrangement which willl appear more fully hereinafter. I'

stood :fromy the .followingspeciication taken with the accompan ing drawings in'which one embodiment is i lustrated. lIn the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a top planrview of the improved truck'with a portion of the to oor or platform broken away tolreveal the un` derlying construction of the frame; Fig. 2 shows a transverse section taken on line 2,4-2

of `Fi 1; Fig. 3: shows alongitudinal'sec` tion ta en on lme 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows an enlarged section taken on line-4 4 of Fig. 1, revea ing the construction of one rof the castors; and Fig. 5 is a detailed'vertical sec# tion taken on the line T5M?) of 1 showing.'

the means `for mounting the side posts or racks on the side frames of the truck. `v

As illustrated fin the drawings, the truck comprises a rectangular frame comprising side frame members 10, afront transverse frame member 10b and an end frame member 10c, togetherl with the inclined corner mem-l bers 10, all of which are formed'from a continuous` length of a metal section,` the ends of which are united at-one point by welding, as at 11. The metal section forming the frame these flanges being cut away to thenecessary extent at the corners to vpermit the bending of the section and to form the inclined corner members 10, after which the flanges are i form to the incline 415 being flush with the top e PATENTj-.OFFICE j `WERNER zEINnLEIt, 'OF ALBION, MICHIGAN, AssIGNon'ro 'IIIE/srin'vrcn cAsrEn e l united along the 'edges of the cutoportions by Welding as shown at 12.A In this way'a` substantially integral frame construction iis: formed without the useof auxiliary fasten-` ingdevices such as bolts or rivets.v The in.-

clined corner vmembers 10d, which are prefer-'1 ably inclined at angles of` about 459 tothe side frame ymembers 10, `serve to engage obstructions which may be encountered during the travel of` the truck,` thereby deflecting the truck. sideways and preventingl substantialv injury to thev construction.

Aside rail 13 of' angle cross-section is mounted on each of the side frame'members 10, one flange 13'* of the side rail restingdi-V rectlyon the upper inwardly directed iiangeV of the side frame member, to which the rail n i is rigidly securedby welding or other fas-y The nature of the invention will be `undertening'means. Theother flange of each side rail lrextends verticall upward in a plane with the-web 'of theun erlyin'g side member .10,a as shown in Fig. 2, and'these side rails- 13 areadapted to receive between themthe-i vfioorfboardsv 14 whichform the supporting platform ofthe truck. The endfloor boards 14%l are suitably sha ed'at the'corners to con corner members `10d and all of the oor boards may be secured in placeV by'bolts or rivets or other means. Wooden `fillers or ambs 15 are mounted `longitudinal- `lyover the ends of the floor boards 14 within 1 fes the side rails 13, the top edges of the jambs cal lfiangesvofthe side ra1ls, the inner edges ges ofthe verti` 'inwardly asshowninFig. 2. The ends ofthe vside rails 13 are deflected' inwardly to conform to the inclination ofthe cornermemvvbers 10", terminating at theJ inner ends of these corner-members v'as Indicated `at 16. -The `top portions of the upwardly directed flanges 13 of the side `rails are out away partially above the cornermembers 10d so that their u per edges terminate iush with the floor boar s 114 at the' ends ofthe wooden jambs 15.

The frame 10 also comprises a longitudinal ,frame member 17, preferably of channel to the front and rear end frame members '10* and 10, respectivel lThe frame also includes a transverse rame member 18 which is located near the front end of the truck, which is preferably of angle cross section having its ends welded to the side frame members 10\ and having an intermediate part of its vertical flange cut away to receive the longitudinal frame member 17 to which the horizontal flanve of the member 18 is also welded. rI `his zliorizontal flange 18a of the intermediate transverse frame member serves in conjunction with the upper horizontal flange of the front transverse frame member 10b to support four relativel short longitudinal frame members 19, two o which are located on each side of the central longitudinal frame member 17 with their ends welded tothe member 18 and the front transverse frame member 10".

Each pair of longitudinal frame members 19 with the intermediate portions of the transverse frame members 18 and 10b, form a rectangular frame structure which is adapted to rest on and be secured to one of the front casters 20. These casters are preferably of the form illustrated particularly in Fig. 4 where the caster is shown as comprising a top plate 21 which is secured to the longitudinal frame members 19 and to the transverse frame member 18 by means of bolts or rivets 22. Each'caster 20 also comprises a lower closing or roller frame 23 including side flanges or frame members 24V and an upper transverse plate 25. The transverse plate 25 is provided with a central opening 26 ada ted to be engaged looselyb the downwar ly extending centrally locate lug 27 formed on the top plate 21 of the caster. The top plate 21 is rovided with an annular downwardly exten ino flange 21 which overlaps and is located slightly outwardly from the circular upper plate 25-of the housing 23. A series of ball bearings 28 are located betweeny the top plate 21 and thehousing 23 and these balls preferably contact with hard metal inserts 29 of annular form which are fitted with a drive fit into annular recesses 30 and 31 which are formed in the top plate 2l and the horizontal plate 25, respectively. The central projection 27 formed on the top plate 21 is provided with a central aperture 32 which is engaged by a bolt 33 and this bolt serves to secure in place a circular hard metal bearing member 34 engaged on its under sideby the nut 35. The hard metal member 34 serves in conjunction with the hard metal cup shapedmember 36 to form a raceway for an inner series of ball bearings 37 adapted to receive the lateral thrusts on the caster, the vertical thrusts being taken care of by the balls 28. These casters are adapted to turn freely during the travel of the truck and they are located some distance inwardly from the sidemembers 10a of the truck so that the housings turn laterally about their pivots,

the caster wheels 38 which are mounted on the axles 39 of the housings 23, will not project laterally beyond the side vframe members of the truck.

Towards the rear end of the frame, the truck is provided with other supporting wheels 40 which are mounted on an axle 41 journalled in the bearing brackets 42 which are secured to the under sides of the side frame members 10a and of the longitudinal frame member 17 by means of bolts 43. The wheels 40 are located on the inner sides of the side frame members 10EL and the outer brackets 42 extend straight downwardly therefrom so thatthey will not interfere with adjacent objects during the travel of the truck. V

A coupling member 45 in the form of lan angle plate having an aperture 45a in the projecting flange thereof, is secured to the central part of the rear transverse frame member 10c for connection with another truck which may be hitched on behind. At the front end of the truck, there is provided a vcoupling hook 46 having at this forward end vwardly and then sliding it downwardly on the pin 47, as permitted by the slots 46c, the coupling hook may be Vcaused to retain the upwardly inclined position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3 so that the truck may be pushed along without vthehoolr dragging on the floor or pavement. It will be observed that when in this position the hook member is retained against downward movement by projecting beneath the front cross frame member 10b. For the purpose of retaining pieces of baggage or other objects in place lon the truck, the frame may be provided with upwardly extending racks or posts located along the sides or ends or both. In the drawings, there are illustrated a number of racks `5() in the form of U-shaped tubular members particularly in Fig. 5 and these socket members 51 are provided withl laterally projectmg flanges 518L which are secured to` the lframe members by means of rivets 52. The

` cylindrical apertureV 51b of the socket member is then adapted to receive the post 1 which drops downwardly until it engages the lower inwardly extending flange of the frame member, thereby retaining the rack or side frame 50 in place. These racks or posts may, of course, be removed when desired merely by lifting the posts out of the socket members.

Although one form of the improved truck' illustration, it will be understood that itumayV be embodied in various other forms within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A trailer truck comprising a substantial rectangular frame formed of a channelshaped member having its flanges directed inwardly and its web extending vertically, side rails of angle cross section attached to the top flanges of'the side members of said frame, floor boards resting on the lower flanges of said side rails, and wooden jambs mounted on the ends of said floor boards inside of 'said rails.

2. A trailer truck comprising a substantial rectangular frame formed of a channelshaped member having its flanges directed inwardly and its web extending vertically, side rails of angle cross section attached to the top flanges of the side members of said frame, floor boards resting on the lower flanges of said side rails, and wooden jnambs resting on said floor boards in contact with the upper parts of the upwardly extending flanges of said side rails.

3. A trailer truck comprising side frame members and end frame members of channel cross section having flanges directed inwardly, side rails of angle cross section each having one flange secured to the upper flange of one of said side frame members and having another flange extending upwardly therefrom, floor boards having their ends restin on said lower flanges of said side rails an extending transversely between said side frame members, and jambs secured along the ends of said floor boards and having their upper surfaces lying flush with the upper edges of the vertical flanges of said side rails.

4. A trailer truck comprising side frame members and end frame members of channel cross section having flanges directed inwardly, side rails of angle cross section each having one flange secured to the upper flange of one of said side frame members and having another flange extending upwardly therefrom, floor boards having their ends resting on said lower flanges of said side rails and extending transversely between said floor` jambs at the corners of the truck and having the upper parts of said ,extending portions cut away so that the upper ed s thereof liel flush with said floor boards yond the ends of said jambs.

5. A trailer truck comprising a substantially rectan ular frame formed of a channelshaped mem rvx-h'a'ving ,'its2fflangesLdirected inwardlyandff'itsaawebsextendig vertically, side rails of angle cross section attached to theftop flanges of said side frame members and having upwardly extending flanges located in alignment with the webs ofmpsad side frame members, y-floorboar'dst- .Y V' the upper flangesof said side rai-ls and ting against the vertical flanges of said side rails, and woodenjambs secured to the uper sides of the end portions ofsaid floor lioards `and abutting a ainst the vertical flanges of said side rais withl their upper surfaces flush with the upper surfaces of said side rails and constituting the uppermost portions of the truck.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

' WERNER ZEINDLER.

side frame members, and jambs secured along the ends of said floor boards and having their upper surfaces lying flush with the upper edges of the vertical flanges of said vside rails, said side rails extending beyond said 

